When Bernadeth Pons sets her sights on a goal, she makes sure to achieve it.
Take the 2025 Southeast Asian Games beach volleyball tournament as an example.
After Creamline’s campaign in the 2024–25 Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference ended, Pons announced that she—like her old beach volleyball partner Sisi Rondina—would be refocusing on beach volleyball for redemption. The Philippines had returned home empty-handed in the 32nd Southeast Asian Games after back-to-back bronze finishes, and Pons was determined to change that.
Missing the 2025 PVL On Tour, Invitational Conference, and Reinforced Conference, the 5-foot-8 outside spiker made sure her sacrifice would be worth it.
Pons and Rondina, fondly known as SiPons, along with the tandem of Dij Rodriguez and Sunny Villapando, delivered in unprecedented fashion, winning the Philippines’ first-ever gold medal in the event at last year’s biennial meet.
(C) SAVA
With that goal accomplished, Pons returned to the Cool Smashers in time for the upcoming 2026 PVL All-Filipino Conference, aiming to bring the storied club back to the top after a titleless 2025.
“Exciting yung PVL ngayon, after nung gold namin sa SEA Games minanifest ko na rin yung ngayong PVL syempre inspiration din yung gold namin na yun,” Pons shared last Wednesday during the AFC press conference at the Discovery Suites in Ortigas.
“So sabi ko another goal na naman ulit, ginogoal ko na makuha ulit this conference pero syempre sabi ko nga kanina we’ll take it one game at a time, focus muna kami sa training namin everyday and kung sino yung mga unang makakalaban namin yun muna.”
Creamline will begin its climb back to the top of the PVL on Thursday, February 5, against PLDT at the Filoil Centre.
Adding to the excitement of her return are the comeback of eight-time Best Setter Jia De Guzman and the addition of libero Jen Nierva, signaling how serious Creamline is about its redemption tour.
“Masaya ako na makabalik ulit sa Creamline and excited ako sa dadating na PVL kasi nga kompleto yung team namin ngayon and lahat makakalaro,” Pons said, as Jema Galanza and Bea De Leon are also set to return after recovering from injuries.
It was in the 2024–25 All-Filipino that Creamline’s once-mighty armor first cracked, followed by defeats in the Invitational and Reinforced Conferences. With a stacked lineup now, it is in the 2026 All-Filipino that Pons and the Cool Smashers aim to rebuild that once-impenetrable shield.
